The present invention relates to firearms and cartridge magazines, and to methods of loading magazines.
Improvements are desired for the magazine disclosed in Brown U.S. Pat. No. 4,614,052. For example, improvements are desired to make loading of bullets into the magazine even easier and faster with the cover moved to a less obtrusive position. Further, it is desirable to construct the magazine of fewer parts, to eliminate protruding parts, and to provide a simplified overall assembly. Still further, it is desirable to provide a magazine that is more resistant to intrusion of dirt and debris, and to facilitate its loading even in conditions that are less than desirable, such as bad weather and/or dirty environments. Also, it is desirable to provide a closure member that is more robust and less subject to being twisted, bent, and/or unacceptably deformed at its pivot (35, FIG. 1) when in an opened condition. Improvements are also desired to eliminate the need for a separate loading apparatus as seen in FIGS. 3 and 4 of the Brown '052 patent.
Gaidos U.S. Pat. No. 1,797,951 discloses a firearm magazine with a flat sliding plate for closing a side of its magazine chamber. However, it includes a slidably mounted latch sensitive to dirt and debris adversely affecting its operation. Also, the plate has slots machined along its edges for slidingly engaging inwardly-deformed edges of the magazine member. The slots are expensive to machine, and further the slots form a narrow track that may trap dirt and debris adversely affecting slidability of the plate, especially when the magazine is being loaded in dirty environments. Gaidos, like Brown, also discloses an open slot along its length that potentially allows debris to enter the magazine, thus greatly reducing its resistance to intrusion of debris. Also, a pull ring protrudes from an end of the plate and, along with the latch, is subject to getting caught on objects when manipulating the magazine.
Kim U.S. Pat. No. 4,688,344 discloses a separate loading apparatus that contains the ammunition for insertion into the magazine. This design is overly complex and uses many extra parts that would be cumbersome to carry or use. The process needed to load a magazine with this design is also more tedious than the conventional one-by-one loading method.
Guy et al. Patent Application Publication No. 2005/0081421 A1 discloses a “Heavy Duty Magazine Loader” that again requires the loading of a shell loader prior to loading the magazine itself. This design requires a multitude of heavy parts for its construction. The design of this loader is bulky, overweight, and is far from portable. It also does not allow for the loading of a magazine where the ammunition is inserted on an angle, such as most semi-automatic handgun magazines.
Ball U.S. Pat. No. 2,862,324 discloses a “Clip Slide Depressor.” This is yet another separate item that has to be carried by the user. The user's hands could just as easily accomplish the function that this design performs. This concept arguably offers no real advantage to loading a magazine.
Herpel Patent Application Publication No. US 2005/0150148 A1 discloses a magazine having a cord attached to the follower for pulling the follower toward the base to relieve the spring tension that would otherwise oppose the force of inserting ammunition. This concept requires the use of a ring at the bottom of the cord that remains extended from the magazine housing when the magazine is filled with ammunition. The cord and ring could easily be caught on objects while the magazine is dispensing the ammunition into the firearm, hence jeopardizing the critical function of the magazine's dispensing action. The cord also has the possibility of becoming tangled with the inner workings of the magazine, hence jeopardizing the function of the magazine. This concept also allows for the possibility that a round of ammunition could be inserted in the correct direction, but tumble while falling to the bottom and landing in the wrong direction.
Urchek Patent Application Publication No. 2003/004684 A1 discloses yet another complicated loading apparatus that is a separate item to have to carry. This concept would also only work with rim fire type ammunition where the ridge on the rear of the ammunition is larger than its cylindrical casing.
Phillips U.S. Pat. No. 6,807,764 B1 discloses an object similar to that of the Ball U.S. Pat. No. 2,862,324. This is yet another separate item that has to be carried by the user. The user's hands could just as easily accomplish the function that this design performs. This concept arguably offers no real advantage to loading a magazine.
Pikula U.S. Pat. No. 6,687,985 B2 discloses a magazine-loading tray. This concept has little, if any, advantage over conventional one-by-one loading. The tray must be loaded, then the magazine must be loaded using the tray, providing no clear advantage to the user. This design is also quite bulky and would not be very portable.
To summarize, the present inventors believe that the above patent references, along with other similar designs, are either overly complex, bulky, or non-portable. None of these concepts provide a sound solution to the cumbersome task of loading ammunition. Some, in fact, add to the burden.
Thus, a system is desired having the aforementioned advantages and solving the aforementioned problems.